Apparatus for retarding the release of engine-brakes.



W. A. PENDRY.

APPARATUS FOR RETARDIN G THE RELEASE OF ENGINE BRAKES. APPLICATION FILEDSEPT. 7, 1909.

1,006,497, Patented Oct. 24, 1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N my! w. A. PENDRY. I APPARATUS FOR RETARDING THE RELEASE OF ENGINEBRAKES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1909.

Patented Oct. 24, 1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l I'LANOGRAPH :0, WASHINGTON. DJL'.

w. A. PBNDRY.

APPARATUS FOR RETARDING THE RELEASE OF ENGINE BRAKES.

APPLIOAIION I'ILED SEPT. 7, 1909.

' Patented Oct. 24, 1911.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

W. A. PENDRY.

APPARATUS FOR RETARDING THE RELEASE OF ENGINE BRAKES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1909.

1,006,497. Patented 0@t.24,1911.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

' W. A. PENDRY. APPARATUS r011 RETARDING THE RELEASE o1" ENGINE BRAKES.

Patented 001. 24, 1911.

IS-SHEET 5.

j raven/Z671 WILLIAM A. PENDRY, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

APPARATUS FOR RETARDING- THE RELEASE OF ENGINE-BRAKES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1911.

Application filed September 7, 1909. Serial No. 516,396.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. PENDRY, a citizen of the United States,residing at- Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Betardingthe Release of Engine-Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates in general to automatic railway brakes, and moreparticularly to apparatus for retarding the release of the brakes on thelocomotive and tender until after the brakes on the cars of the trainhave been released.

In the operation of the usual automatic compressed air railway brakes,after an application of the brakes, and it is desired to release thebrakes, the train pipe pressure is increased, which releases the brakesfirst on the engine and tender and successively on the cars of thetrain, the brakes on the last car being the last released. When thetrain is standing on a down grade, this releasing operation isobjectionable as the release of the brakes on the locomotive before therelease of the brakes on the cars frequently results in the train beingbroken in two, owing to the strain exerted upon the couplings by theweight of the locomotive and tender after the brakes have been releasedthereon and before the brakes have been released on all of the cars ofthe train.

It has heretofore been proposed to remedy this objection by providingseparate valve mechanism for releasing the locomotive and tender brakes,so that the brakes may be released. 1n the usual way on the cars of thetrain, and subsequently by the operation of the separate valvemechanism, the brakes on the locomotive and tender are released.Apparatus of this sort, however, renders it necessary for the engineerto operate two separate valves, in order to release the brakes on thetrain, and this is objectionable, not only because it complicates thebrake mechanism but also because it adds to the already too numerousduties of the engineer.

The primary object of my invention is to provide mechanism which may beused in connection with the ordinary automatic railway brake systems,and which, when the brake apparatus is operated in the usual way forreleasing the brakes, will retard the release of the locomotive andtender brakes until after the brakes have been released on the cars ofthe train.

A further object of my invention is to provide an attachment forretarding the release of brakes on a locomotive until after the brakeson the cars of a train have been released, which is capable of beingadjusted to vary the retardation of the release of the locomotive brakesaccording to the length of the train.

A still further object of my invention is to provide mechanism forretarding the release of locomotive brakes which will be comparativelysimple in construction, practical in use, and eflicient in operation.

My invention will be more fully described hereinafter with reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which the same is illustrated as embodiedin a convenient and practical form, and in which Figure l is anelevational view; Fig. 2, an elevational view, looking from the right inFig. 1; Fig. 3, a top plan view; Fig. 4:, a bottom plan view; Fig. 5, avertical central section on line 5, Fig. 3; Fig. 6, a cross sec tionalview on line 6, Fig. 5; Fig. 7 a cross sectional View on line 7, Fig. 5;and Figs. 8 to 13, inclusive, sectional views, taken on lines indicatedon 5 by numerals corresponding to the numerals of these figures.

The same reference characters are used to designate the same parts inthe several fig ures of the drawings.

Reference letter A indicates a valve chamber with which communicates acoupling C, adapted to be connected with the usual train pipe of anordinary automatic compressed air brake system, preferably at a pointadj acent the engineers valve. At the other side of a transversepartition a, within the valve chamber A, there communicates a passage 03leading from a coupling D adapted to be connected with the train pipeleading to the locomotive and tender brake apparatus.

Extending through. the partition 64 is a cylindrical sleeve A, the lowerend of which is provided with a circular valve seat a, with whichcooperates a valve A The space above the valve A communicates with atrain pipe leading to the locomotive and tender brake apparatus, the topof such space being closed by a circular partition E having an outwardlyprojecting flange c resting against a shoulder formed in the asurrounding wall of the chamber A. An

exteriorly screw-threaded ring E is located in vertical alinement withthe ring E and retains the shoulder e thereon against the shoulder onthe valve casing the ring E being in screw-threaded engagement with thesurrounding surface of the casing A. The ring E is provided at its upperedge with an interiorly projecting annular flange 6 having at its inneredge a circular valve seat. Located within the ring E is a piston F. Aplunger rod F extends downwardly in concentric alinement with the pistonF and projects through the partition E a suitable stuffing box (2 beingprovided in the partition around the rod F A shoulder f is formed aroundthe rod F immediately below the stufling box 6. The lower end of the rodF rests against the upper surface of the valve A but is disconnectedtherefrom. Projecting above the 1 upper surface of the piston F is ascrewthreaded stud f surrounded and engaged by a post F, which isprovided with an outwardly projecting flange at its lower end overlyingand retaining against the adja- 5 guide cylinder h locatedconcentrically within and preferably formed integral with a cap H. Acoil spring G is secured at its lower end 9 to the post F and at itsupper end surrounds and is thereby secured to the stud G 'swiveled onthe lower end of a rod g. The spring G and lower end G of the rod arelocated within the surrounding cap H, which is secured at its lowerexteriorly screw-threaded end it within the upper end of the valvechamber A. The stem 9 is prevented from rotating relatively to thesurrounding cap H by means of vertical ribs 71/ within the cap whichengage notches in a disk surrounding the lower end G of the rod, asclearly shown in Fig. 5. The rod 9 projects through a stuffing boxlocated at the upper end of the cap H, H indicating the stuffing and hthe gland of the stuffing box. The portion of the rod 9 which projectsthrough the stuffing box has secured thereto a collar G having in theouter surface thereof a groove 9 A stud on the lower end of a lever 9extends into the groove g the opposite end of such leverv a havingsecured to the lower end thereof a washer a An annular disk is looselysurrounds the rod a and rests upon the washer A spring K surrounds therod a and is interposed between the disk 7: and the under surface of thevalve A The disk normally rests upon a circular support K having spacedfeet is resting upon the head B which closes the lower end of the valvechamber A. The tension of the spring K is such that the valve A will benormally held in the position shown in Fig. 5 in which a restricted feedgroove a permits equalization of pressure on the opposite side of thevalve.

A piston valve L is located within a bushing Z extending downwardlywithin the valve cylinder head B, such piston valve being normallyretained in the position shown in Fig. 5 by the light spring L locatedbeneath the valve and supported by a hollow cap Z engaging within aninteriorly screw-threaded opening I) in the head B.

A cylinder chamber M is located adjacent and parallel to the valvechamber A, and is preferably formed in a single casting with the valvechamber. The valve chamber head B is extended to close the lower end ofthe chamber M. A plurality of annular disks N rests upon each other andare concentrically located in the chamber M, the lowest one of suchdisks resting upon the underlying surface of the head B. The severaldisks N are provided with radial chambers a, twelve of such chambersbein provided in each disk and the corresponding chambers in the severaldisks being arranged in vertical alinement. The alining chambers in theseveral disks communicate by means of lower ports a, which register withthe up er ports n in the underlying disks. The disks are clamped tightlytogether so as to be held against rotation by means of a lock ring mexteriorly screw-threaded and engaging within the interiorlyscrew-threaded upper end of the chamber M. A cap M is mounted upon theupper end of the chamber M and is secured thereto by an exteriorlyscrewthreaded flange m engaging the screw threads within the end of thechamber. A valve stem 0 extends through a stufling box carried by thecap M, m indicating the stufiing therein and M the gland. The lower endof the valve stem 0 has formed thereon a disk valve 0, which seats uponthe upper surface of the top disk N and controls the openings leadingfrom the alternate radial chambers in such disk. A port 0 extendsthrough the valve 0 and is adapted to register with the opening leadingfrom one of the alternate radial chambers in the top disk, in a mannerto be more fully hereinafter described. Extending within and secured tothe lower end of the stem 0 is a hollow stem 39, such hollow stemextending concentrically through the several superimposed disks N. Thelower end of the hollow rod 17 is exteriorly screw-threaded and isengaged by a collar P, between which and the under suron the locomotivesand tender brakes.

face of a disk valve P is interposed a spring 29. The disk valve P issecured to rotate with the rod 79, but to move axially thereon in anysuitable manner, as by means of a stud extending from the rod 39 andinto a vertical slot in the depending flange on the disk valve. Thevalve P is provided with a port adapted to be brought successively intoregister with ports extending from a1- ternate radial chambers in thelower disk N. The port 9 communicates with the hollow interior of therod p, the latter communicating at its upper end with a port 0 leadingthrough the stem 0 to the space within the chamber M beneath the cap M.The upper end of the valve stem 0 is provided with a' hand wheel 0having on its upper surface a dial It, with which cooperates a pointer rprojecting from and secured to the cap H in any suitable manner, as bymeans of a ring R surrounding the cap and clamped thereon by a set screw1".

The operation of my improved retarding valve mechanism is as follows:The parts are in the position shown in Fig. 5 when the brake apparatusis in the usual running condition,-that is, the auxiliary reservoirscommunicate through the usual feeding ports with the train pipe, and thebrake cylinders are connected with the atmosphere. Train pipe pressurepasses to the chamber A below the valve A and thence passes through thefeeding groove a to the space above the valve A with which communicatesa train pipe leading to the triple valves The piston L is retained inthe position shown by exposing the lower surface thereof to the trainpipe pressure through the communicating passages D and CZ, the former ofwhich leads from the train pipe coupling D. The annular groove in thepiston L connects an atmospheric port Z with the port Z through thesurrounding bushing Z, and such port communicates with a passage Lformed in the casting of the valve chamber A and communicates throughthe restricted port a with the space above the piston F. The undersurface of the piston F is at all times in communication with theatmosphere through an exhaust port 0 When the brakes are applied, thereduction in train pipe pressure results in the valve A quickly opening,by reason of the excessive pressure above the same, thereby permittingthe pipe leading to the locomotive and tender brakes to directlycommunicate with the train pipe chamber A, so that the pressure thereinis reduced and the brakes applied co-incidentally with the applicationof the brakes on the cars of the train. After the brakes are applied,and it is desired to release them, the train pipe is directly connectedwith the main reservoir, so as to subject the triple valve pistons to anexcessive train pipe pressure, and thereby move them into position torelease the brakes. This excessive train pipe pressure passes to thespace he neath the valve A and instantly tightly seats such valve,thereby closing the feed groove a past the same. The excessive trainpipe pressure also forces the piston valve L downwardly, owing to theunder surface of such valve being exposed through passages d and D tothe lower pressure in the branch locomotive train pipe. The port Z isthereby uncovered, so that the increased train pipe pressure passesthrough the passage L into the space E in the head B below the valve P.The pressure then passes through the port 6 and overlying registeringport leading into the first radial passage in the lowest disk N. Thepressure then passes successively through the vertically alined radialpassages in the superimposed disks until the top disk is reached. Thepressure then passes through the passage n to the second radial passagein the top disk, attention being directed to Fig. 8. If the position ofthe valve 0 is such that the port 0 therein registers with the port aleading upwardly from the second radial passage in the top disk, thenthe pressure passes to the space above the valve 0, and thence, throughthe passage 0 to the space within the cap H above the piston F. Theportion of the piston F exposed through the circular opening through theflange e is, therefore, subjected to the releasing train pipe pressure,and is quickly moved downwardly away from the valve seat around theopening through the flange 6 thereby ex posing the upper entire area ofthe piston F to the increased train pipe pressure. The piston F is thenquickly moved downwardly and, depressing the plunger rod F moves thevalve A away from its seat. The increased train pipe pressure then flowspast the valve A to the pipe leading to the triple valves on thelocomotive and enginebrakes, thereby releasing such brakes. When thebrakes on the locomotive and tender have been released and the pressureson the opposite sidesof the valve A have equalized, the valve mechanismis returned to the condition shown in Fig. 5, by reason of the tensionof the spring G lifting the piston F, at such time the upper surface ofthe piston F being exposed to atmospheric pressure through the passages0 L port Z annular groove around the valve L, and exhaust port Z It willbe understood that the valve L has at such time returned to its normalposition, owing to the equalization of pressure through the restrictedpassage d with the train pipe pressure to which the upper surface of thevalve is exposed, and the action of spring L The equalization ofpressure on opposite sides of the valve A permits the tension of thespring K to return the valve A to its running position and lifts theplum ger rod F until its shoulder f engages the lower end of the packingbox 0.

It will be observed that in the above described operatic-n the flow ofthe increased releasing train pipe pressure to the locomotive and tenderbrakes has been retarded by the restricted connected passageways throughthe first series of alined communicating chambers in the superimposeddisks N. The retardation thus effected is sufficient when the train iscomposed of five cars or less, and the hand wheel 0 then occupies theposition shown in Fig. 3, in which the I pointer i registers with thenumeral 5 on the dial.

When the train is composed of from five to ten cars the hand wheel 0 isturned so that the pointer 1' will register with theport a leading fromthe bottom chamber of the second alined series of chambers. Theincreased train pipe pressure consequently passes downwardly through thesecond series of connected chambers and through the port 77 to thehollow interior of the rod 79, and thence through the port 0 to thespace above the piston F. This produces double the retardation anddelays the release of the locomotive and tender brakes until the brakeson all of the cars have been released. Pressure to the space above thepiston F is thereby retarded, and the release of the 10- comotive andtender brakes delayed until the brakes have been released on all of thecars of the train. This is accomplished by the valves 0 and P, the port0 in the former of which registers with the ports a leading fromalternate alined series of communicating chambers, while the port 10 inthe valve P registers only with ports n leading from the intermediatealined communicating series of chambers.

The operation of my improved valve retarding mechanism may be variedaccording to the normal train pipe pressure, by adjusting the tension ofthe spring G so as to increase the tension of such spring when thenormal train pipe pressure is greater than sixty pounds, and therebyadjust the operation of the valve mechanism to accord with theparticular degree of the normal train pipe pressure. This isaccomplished by rotating the screw-threaded rod g relatively to thesurrounding screw threads in the cap H, and thereby vertically adjustingthe rod to such a position that the pointer G will register with thenumeral on the dial 9 corresponding to the normal train pipe pressure.

than the usual engineers valve. It will also be observed that myimproved retarding valve mechanism is capable of being readily adjustedso as to retard the release of the locomotive and tender brakesaccording to the length of the train, and is also capable of beingadjusted to conform to dilferent normal train pipe pressures.

It will, of course, be understood that various mechanical devices can beprovided for securing the desired retardation of the flow of theincreased releasing train pipe pressure, and that I do not wish to beunderstood as limiting myself to the particular specific structureherein illustrated and disclosed. I also wish to be understood as notlimiting myself to any of the specific details of structure hereindisclosed, but desire to cover any and all specific embodiments comingwithin the terms of my claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with an automatic air brake system comprising a trainpipe communicating with an engineers valve and through branch trainpipes with brake applying apparatus on the cars and locomotive, ofmechanism interposed in the branch leading from the train pipe tolocomotive brake apparatus for retarding the release of the locomotivebrakes.

2. The combination with an automatic air brake system comprising a trainpipe communicating with an engineers valve and with brake applyingapparatus on the cars andlocomotive, of mechanism interposed between thetrain pipe and locomotive brake apparatus for retarding the passage ofair from the train pipe to the locomotive brake apparatus.

3. The combination with an automatic air brake system comprising a trainpipe communicating with an engineers valve and through branch trainpipes with brake applying apparatus on the cars and locomotive, ofmechanism in the branch train pipe leading to the locomotive forretarding the automatic release of the locomotive brakes when theengineers valve is in release position until after the release of thebrakes on the cars of the train.

4. The combination with an automatic air brake system comprising a trainpipe communicating with an engineers valve and with brake applyingapparatus on the cars and locomotive, of mechanism interposed betweenthe train pipe and locomotive brake apparatus for retarding the releaseof the locomotive brakes, and means for adjusting said mechanismaccording to the number of cars in the train.

5. The combination with an automatic air brake system comprising a train,pipe communicating with an e-ngineers valve and with brake applyingapparatus on the cars and locomotive, of mechanism interposed betweenthe train pipe and locomotive brake apparatus for retarding the releaseof the locomotive brakes, means for adjusting said mechanism accordingto the number of cars in the train, and means for adjusting saidmechanism according to the normal running train pipe pressure.

6. The combination with an automatic air brake system comprising a trainpipe communicating with an engineers valve and with brake applyingapparatus on the cars and locomotive, of an intercepting valve betweenthe train pipe and locomotive brake apparatus, means for opening saidvalve, a plurality of passageways leading to said opening means, andmeans for connecting said passageways in series with the train pipeduring the release operation of the brake system.

7. The combination with an automatic air brake system comprising a trainpipe communicating with an engineers valve and with brake applyingapparatus on the cars and locomotive, of an intercepting valve be-.tween the train pipe and locomotive brake apparatus, means for openingsaid vlave, a plurality of passageways leading to said opening means,and means for adjustably connecting one or more of said passages inseries with the train pipe according to the number of cars in the train.

8. The combination with an automatic air brake system comprising a trainpipe communicating with an engineers valve and with brake applyingapparatus on the cars and locomotive, of valve mechanism interposedbetween the train pipe and locomotive brake apparatus for retarding therelease of the locomotive brakes comprising an intercepting valvebetween the train pipe and locomotive brake apparatus, a piston foropening said valve, a chamber within which said piston reciprocates, arestricted passageway leading to said piston chamber, and means forconnecting said passageway with the train pipe during the releaseoperation 01"? the brake system.

9. The combination with an automatic air brake system comprising a trainpipe communicating with an engineers valve and with brake applyingapparatus on the cars and locomotive, of valve mechanism interposedbetween the train pipe and locomotive brake apparatus for retarding therelease of the locomotive brakes comprising a chamber with which thetrain pipe communicates, a chamber with which the locomotive brakeapparatus communicates, an intercepting valve controlling thecommunication between said chambers, a piston for unseating said valve,a chamber in which said piston is located, and means for retarding theflow of air from said train pipe chamber to said piston chamber duringthe release operation of the brake system.

10. The combination with an automatic air brake system comprising atrain pipe communicating with an engineers valve and brake applyingapparatus on the cars and locomotive, of valve mechanism interposedbetween the train pipe and locomotive brake apparatus for retarding therelease of the locomotive brakes comprising a chamber with which thetrain pipe communicates, a chamber with which the locomotive brakeapparatus communicates, an intercepting valve controlling thecommunication between said chambers, a piston for unseating said valve,a chamber in which said piston is located, a restricted passagewayleading from said train pipe chamber to said piston chamber, and meansfor normally connecting said passageway and said piston chamber with anexhaust, and for disconnecting said passageway and piston chamber fromthe exhaust and connecting said passageway with the train pipe chamberduring the release operation of the brake system.

11. The combination with an automatic air brake system comprising atrain pipe communicating with an engineers valve and with brake applyingapparatus on the cars and locomotive, of valve mechanism interposedbetween the train pipe and locomotive brake apparatus for retarding therelease of the locomotive brakes comprising a chamber with which thetrain pipe communicates, a chamber with which the locomotive brakeapparatus communicates, an intercepting valve controlling the communication between said chambers, a spring for normally seating said valve,a piston, a plunger actuated by said piston to unseat said valve, achamber in which said piston is located, a series of passagewaysconnecting said train pipe chamber with said piston chamber, and meansfor adjustably connecting one or more of said passageways in seriesaccording to the number of cars in the train.

12. The combination with an automatic air brake system comprising atrain pipe communicating with an engineers valve and with brake applyingapparatus on the cars and locomotive, of valve mechanism interposedbetween the train pipe and locomotive brake apparatus for retarding therelease of the locomotive brakes comprising a chamber with which thetrain pipe communicates, a chamber with which the locomotive brakeapparatus communicates, an intercepting valve controlling thecommunication between said chambers, a piston for sion of said springaccording to the normal unseating said valve, a chamber in which?running train pipe pressure. 10

said piston is located, means for retarding In testimony whereof, I havesubscribed the flow of air from said train pipe and my name.

chamber to said piston chamber during the WILLIAM A. PENDRY. releaseoperation of the brake system, a Witnesses:

spring for returning said piston to normal GEO. L. WILKINSON,

position, and means for adjusting the ten- ANNIE C; COURTENAY.

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